Various construction systems (also referred to as construction sets and building sets) that utilize multiple releasably connectable components have been in popular use for many years in different applications ranging from toys to consumer and commercial furnishings, to architectural building systems. As a result, a great number of previously developed solutions are available for each type of construction system depending on the intended use thereof.
However, regardless of application, all previously developed construction systems can be separated into two basic categories: “Category-1” systems with construction components that directly releasably interconnect with one another in a strictly predefined manner, and “Category-2” systems with construction components that require one or more connector elements for releasable connection therebetween in one or more predetermined positions.
Referring now to FIG. 13A, many of the previously known Category-1 construction systems comprise building block sets with the majority of the blocks being substantially equivalent to block 700 having one surface with male coupling connectors, and an opposing surface with female receiving connectors (such as a female receiving region), sized and configured for releasable frictional engagement with male coupling connectors inserted therein. Category-1 sets may also include blocks with male-only coupling connectors (such as block 702), for use as a base, or in other applications where a flat surface connected to one or more building blocks is needed.
Examples of the most common Category-1 construction systems include the toy building block sets of the LEGO® brand. Top and bottom isometric views of an exemplary construction component used in such toy building block sets are shown in FIG. 13B, as the block 704, on the outside having a male connector surface 706 with several connector studs 712, and having outer walls 708, and on the insider having a female receiving region 710, bounded by inner walls 714 and including a number of cylindrical projections 716, positioned along the central longitudinal axis, to form plural female connective regions between the projections 716 and the inner walls 714, sized and configured to frictionally engage the studs 712 when they are brought into coupling connection therewith. The female receiving region may include a number of additional engaging elements, such as ribs along the inner walls 714, to assist in achieving frictional engagement with the male studs 712.
While Category-1 construction sets may be supplied with individual “special” elements that allow specific predefined non-conventional connective configurations, the vast majority of “average” building elements are variations of the block 704, that may differ in size, but that are connectable to one another only through engagement of at least a portion of each block's male connector surface with at least a portion of corresponding female connective regions of another block or blocks. Therefore, utilizing the commonly supplied average building elements, a conventional Category-1 construction system only enables blocks to be connectively stacked, as illustrated by an exemplary structure 750 of FIG. 14, constructed utilizing blocks substantially similar to blocks 700 and 702.
Notwithstanding their popularity, the most commonly supplied “average” building blocks of Category-1 toy construction sets suffer from a number of disadvantages. First and foremost, there are very significant limitations on the how such building blocks can be releasably connected to one another—i.e., the blocks can only be connected in a stacking fashion, with the male coupling connectors of at least a portion of the blocks being in releasable engagement with female receiving connectors of another portion of the blocks. This serious flaw severely inhibits the creativity of a person (e.g., a child) playing with the construction set, by forcing them to use the building elements in a very specific manner.
Another drawback of the majority of Category-1 building blocks is the relative weakness of coupling force between smaller and significantly larger interconnected blocks, and of the stability of their orientations with respect to one another. A number of solutions have been proposed to address the drawbacks related to weakness of the coupling force and of the stability of orientation (such as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,676, entitled “Toy building set”, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,210, entitled “Toy building set and building elements therefor”). Nevertheless, the inherent structure and construction of the majority of commonly used Category-1 building blocks eliminates the possibility of expanding the range of connectivity of the blocks to one another, and thus, the key limitation of such building blocks remains unresolved.
To address at least some of the above-described connectivity limitations alternate types of Category-1 construction systems have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,522, entitled “Fabric fastener building block”, disclosed a construction set composed of building blocks each having fabric hook regions covering at least a portion of its surfaces, and fabric loop regions, capable of releasable attachment to fabric hook regions, covering another portion of its surfaces, and in another proposed variations, certain blocks included only hook fabric surfaces, while other blocks included only loop fabric surfaces. While this solution offered a greater range of connectivity than the above-described stackable building blocks, it still suffered from a number of flaws. First, while their orientation with respect to one another was flexible, to connect the blocks, one must match hook fabric surfaces to corresponding loop fabric surfaces. Thus, two blocks having the same type of fabric surface could not be connected to one another. Therefore the connectivity limitations were not fully addressed. Second, the nature of hook and loop fabric coupling imposed practical minimum values on the sizes of the building blocks (which had to be much greater than previously described conventional stackable blocks), and also greatly reduced the block-to-block coupling force, when many fabric-covered blocks were connected to one another.
To better address the connectivity limitations of Category-1 construction systems, a number of other solutions were developed that removed the limitations on directionality of coupling multiple building elements—i.e. by proposing “Category-2” construction systems with construction components that require one or more connector elements for releasable connection therebetween in one or more predetermined positions. For example, a number of proposed Category-2 solutions, disclosed building components having a hole positioned in each side that are connectable utilizing dowel-like interconnect components that are inserted in each respective hole of the components being connected (e.g., such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,906, entitled “Pin connector for construction toy set”). Another similar proposed solution disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,185, entitled “Universal foldable toy blocks with alignable slots” taught the use of slots positioned on the surfaces of construction components and flat interconnect components insertable therein to form releasable attachment between the components.
However, while these solutions address the limitations of directionality of coupling between construction components, they suffer from a different set of drawbacks. First, the use of holes or slots with corresponding rod or flat inserts require predetermined precise alignment of construction components such that the respective holes or slots exactly face one another. Second, inserting multiple elongated coupling connectors into precisely aligned holes or slots is a relatively time-consuming and frustrating task, limiting the appeal of such solutions. In addition, it is very difficult to control the coupling force of such releasable interconnect solutions.
Yet another set of proposed solutions for Category-2 construction systems, taught the use of resilient core construction blocks having surfaces covered with loop fabric and a number of engaging double-sided tabs having hook fabric surfaces to releasably attach the blocks to one another in a variety of configurations (e.g., as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,964,634 and 6,568,981, both entitled “Soft brick modular building construction set”). Nevertheless, even these solutions had serious flaws. First, while acceptable to couple proximal surfaces of the blocks aligned in the same plane, the double-sided tabs were problematic when used between facing surfaces of the blocks, as they prevented the blocks from coming into full contact with one another, making such connections inherently unstable and weakened, especially if multiple blocks were interconnected. In addition, as noted above, with respect to the '522 patent, the nature of hook and loop fabric coupling imposed practical limitations on the sizes of the construction blocks (which had to be of much greater size than previously described conventional stackable blocks).
Finally, there are two important disadvantages common to all solutions proposed to address the flaws of conventional stackable block Categroy-1 construction systems. First, the proposed construction systems are almost uniformly proprietary, and thus do not offer any solutions for use with the vastly popular stackable block construction sets—likely the cause of their failure to gain significant acceptance. Second, the vast majority of the more flexible previously known Category-2 construction systems are very limited in their scalability—for example, the various construction systems that utilize hook and loop fabric for releasably connecting the blocks have a size limitation defined by the strict requirements imposed by the availability of a very limited size range of hook and loop fabric options. Similarly, construction systems that utilize such elements as connecting rods (e.g., as proposed in the '906 patent), may be made relatively small, but quickly become unwieldy and cumbersome when produced on a larger scale.
It would thus be desirable to provide an modular construction system comprised of versatile construction components capable of connectivity in any cardinal direction, and utilizing interconnect components with significant flexibility in their use to releasably couple the versatile construction components in a variety of connection configurations. It would also be desirable to provide a modular construction system readily scalable in utilization from toy to architectural applications. It would further be desirable to provide a modular construction system comprised of versatile construction components, and interconnect components capable of fitting within an overlap region formed by connected construction components, to enable substantially flush interconnection thereof. It would additionally be desirable to provide a modular construction system, having construction components sized and configured to releasably engage with male coupling connectors of commercially available toy construction blocks and having interconnect components sized and configured to releasably engage with female receiving connectors of the toy construction blocks. It would further be desirable to provide a modular construction system that has readily scalable construction and interconnect components.